Cabinet dishwasher



Jan. 10, 1939. E. s. STODDARD CABINET DISHWASHER Filed Dec. 22, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jan 10, 1939. E. s. sTbDDARD CABINET DISHWASHER Filed Dec. 22, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 10, 1939. E. s. sToDDARD CABINET DISHWASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 22, 1954 I'll-I lull I-lulllllulullllull I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E. S. STODDARD CABINET DISHWASHER Filed Dec. 22, 1934 Jan. 10, 1939.

Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrcE CABINET DISHWASHER of Illinois Application December 22, 1934, Serial No. 758,767 4 Claims. (01. 141-9) This invention relates to improvements in dishwashing machines and more particularly to machines of the built-in or cabinet-type of machine disclosed in my earlier Patent No. 1,946,181.

The embodiment of my invention as shown in the accompanying drawings relates to the type of sink having a depressed basin portion and an adjacent drain board or storage portion beneath which a dishwashing compartment is located. Heretofore in. sinks of this kind it has been customary to have a dishwashirig machine mounted under the drain board portion and to use the drain board as a slidable or lifting cover for the dishwasher so that ready 'access may be had thereto. This has necessitated the use of a two or more piece drain board cover having necessary cracks and crevices for fitting the cover to the sink. Within these crevices dirt and food particles collect, causing decay and generallyunsanitary sink conditions. 'Moreover, the drain board portion cannot be used for storing dishes nor other mtchen supplies at -certain periods when the machine is to be operated, because the board must be left free to be raised or slid away from the dishwasher.

One object of my invention is to provide a cabinet-type dishwashing machine having a more pleasing appearance and easily adaptable to the modern kitchen.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cabinet-type dishwashing machine wherein the top surface may be permanently used as a table or drain board in connection with an adjacent sink.

A still further object of my invention is to provide ready access .to the dish-holding apparatus within a cabinet-type dishwashing machine and to provide means for simplifying the loading and unloading of the same.

Still other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon Fig. 4 is a view of the extensible and retract-- able dish rack holders as mounted within a cabinet;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view 01' the cabinet on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; p

Fig. 6 is a view or the cabinet door hinge structure showing the door in closed position 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showin jrthe unit. This result is accomplished by inserting 9.

dishwashing unit having a side opening, beneath the sink drain board. When in open position, the door acts as a shield to prevent water from the interior of the tank from running onto the floor. The dish racks within the tank are arranged upon telescoping slides which permit the racks to he slid outwardly from the tank and over the open water-retaining door. In this position the racks may be easily loaded or unloaded and drying of the dishes by the evaporation of the hot water upon them is accelerated. The door is sealed at its edges to prevent leakage of water therethrough when the machine is in operation and is hinged to the cabinet structure rather fording a storage space beneath the sink, and

generally creating a neat and pleasing appearance.

Beneath the drain board 12 is mounted a dishwashing machine apparatus 01' any well known typeaccessible through a side opening rather than through a conventional swinging top cover. A downwardly swinging side door I4 is provided in the sink l0 wall for the tank It of the dishwasher. This door is preferably mounted upon the cabinet structure itself for ease of assembly and aflords a water-tight closure for the tank when closed and a drip shield for the dishes whenopen.

The opening through the cabinet wall into the tank I6 is substantially rectangular in shape, and around the periphery of this opening is mounted a channel member l8 having a U- shaped cross section and containing a resilient gasket l9 0! sponge rubber or the like. This gasket extends out of the channel member, which should be wide enough and deep enough to hold a substantial cushion of rubber, so as to afford an effective seal with the door when the latter is pressed thereagainst. Upon the door itself is provided a continuous rib or raised portion 20 that follows the contour of the center line of the gasket is and is adapted to be pressed thereagainst upon closing the door to make an effective seal.

It has been found preferable to make the channel member i8, and consequently the gasket l9 and the rib 20, with rounded corners. when this is done the channel or trough l8 should be reduced in depth around the corner curves on the outer edge to make up for the thinning of the gasket at this point as it is stretched therearound. Of course this can be remedied by padding the gasket at these points or the gasket may be moulded for this purpose.

Upon opening the door l4 water accumulated thereon tends to run downwardly upon the floor unless means are used to collect the same. In the present embodiment is shown an L-shaped drip trough 22 which is sealed at the bottom and at both ends to the front of the cabinet adjacent the channel I8. The short leg of the L-shaped trough is turned upwardly and the bottom portion of the door H is adapted to fit in between this leg and the channel l8. Upon opening of the door, the lower portion thereof continuously overhangs this upturned lip or leg of the trough 22 so danger of water dripping upon the floor is eliminated. The trough 22 is arranged to be drained by gravity and may be permanently connected to the interior of the dishwashing tank I6 by a tube 23 for this purpose.

A close fit is desired between the door I l and the gasket to prevent leakage of water from the machine. When the door of the machine is closed, channel 22 prevents escape of water. The position of this channel makes it necessary in opening the door I I to lift the door over and out of the channel, hinging mechanism for this function being shown in Figs. 6 and 7. To carry out both this lifting and swinging action, the point of pivot for the door hinge is spaced in front of the cabinet adjacent the trough 22. A system of semi-circular or arcuate hinges sliding in semicircular guides or tracks is used.

The hinge members on each side of the machine are provided with a hinge plate having an inner hub portion 24 and an outer guide portion 26. The outer guide portion 26 terminates as shown at 2l to form a stop or limiting member for the movable portion of the hinge. The hub portion and outer guide 26 are Joined on the outside of the hinge member 29 by a tie plate 28, as may be seen in the drawings.

Between the hub portion and outer guide the door hinge member 29 is slidably mounted. This hinge is attached at one end to the door I4 and at the other end is provided with a tail-like stop and spring connector 30 which cooperates with the stationary stop member 21 to prevent further outwardly swinging movement of the door ll, as shown in Fig. '7. In opening the door ll the stop member 21 holds the movable hinge member 29 in position when a sufiicient part of the member has passed around the inner hub to maintain a proper horizontal location of the door. It is preferred to construct the rotatable portions 29 of the hinges of two separate plates, one of which is attached to the door, and the other of which is attached to spring 32, as shown in Fig. 2. The

auaoso two plates may be connected together in any suitable manner to provide a rigid structure.

A spring 32 is attached at one end to the arm 30 and at the other end to a hook or staple II on the cabinet frame. To complete the door assembly a latch device 35 is ailixed to the upper central portion of the door, this latch, in combination with the hinge members on each side of the lower portion of the door affording a firm three point securement which is adequate to prevent leakage.

By constructing the hinge members with pivotal centers spaced from the machine, an eccentric action is provided which effects a lifting of the door as the latter is rotated toward the horizontal position shown in Fig. 7. As the door is closed, it also is lowered into the channel 22 to form a water-tight connection.

In some instances the setting of the hinge guides 24 and 26 may be adjusted to produce a tighter closure at the bottom of the door than at the top, thereby causing the door to appear as though slightly open at the top although a tight seal is afforded. To give a more finished appearance in those instances the gasket channel It may be set at a very slight angle with reference to the vertical front wall of the cabinet-say inch in 22 inches-causing the door to fit evenly all the way around.

In adapting the tank I8 to the opening in the cabinet the periphery of the opening in the tank It wall should be slightly larger and sized to fit tightly over or around the gasket channel IS. A further U-shaped tank opening gasket is fitted over the edge of the tank opening and the edge slipped over the outer wall of the gasket channel l8 and against the vertical portion 42 of the cabinet front to which the channel It is sealed (see Fig. 1). The tank is held in place over the channel l8 by means of clamp straps 44 that are pulled against the tank by long adjustable hooks 46 which are anchored into the cabinet frame at one end 48 and to the straps H at the other end 49. Rubber pads 50 are provided between the strap clamps H and the walls of the tank I0 wherever said clamps and said walls come into contact to prevent chipping of the enameled tank wall.

In Figs. 1, 4 and 8 are shown the slidable dish rack supports. These supports comprise front and rear brackets 5| and 52, respectively, between each pair of which is rigidly mounted an outer stationary slide tube 53. The brackets are bored to receive the inner telescoping slide tubes 54 which extend inwardly within the outer slide tubes 53 and are slidably supported thereby. Upon the inner end of the inner slide tubes 5i are raised stop portions which cooperate with shoulder portions 55 of the brackets 5| to prevent further outward movement of slides 54 from within their bracket and outer slide 53. As the outer slide tubes are larger in diameter than the bored portion of the brackets 5| in order to provide the shoulders 56, the stop portions 55 of the inner slide tubes should be of sufficient size to engage the outer tubes 53 in a snug fit. This will prevent any weaving or rattling between these telescoping tubes.

The basket support members comprise in part the front straps 51 having the inwardly projecting annular fittings 58 which are received within the outer end of the inner slide tubes 54. A threaded plug 59 driven into this end of the inner slide receives a bolt 60 which passes through the strap 51, the fitting 58 and into the plug 59 holdescapee ing the assemblage together. At the rear of the outer slidetubes 53 are the rear straps 8! which are slidably mounted thereover by means of the ring members 62. A rack slide frame 63, substantially rectangular in shape and preferably having rounded corners, is supported by means of the front and rear straps 51 and BI from the inner and outer slide tubes. Diagonally across the rounded corners of the frame 83 are the dish rack or basket support bars 64.

The dish racks themselves may be of any design adaptable to the use of an upright rotat able impeller 66 located in the bottom of the tank. As an example, baskets of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,905,523

issued April 25, 1933, may be used for this purpose. These dish racks are supported from the support bars 58 by hook members 61 and will slide outwardly over the opened door It with the frame 63 and the sliding tubes 55.

Slide support brackets 5| and 52 are clamped to the tank I6 by flat headed screws that pass through the bracket andtank wall and screw into clamp plates 89 on the outside of the tank. Rubber pads 10 are set between the enameled surface of the tank and the brackets and between the tank and clamp plates 69 to prevent chipping.

In Fig. 5 is shown means for assembling and holding together the sink portion of the cabinet. The outer surface of the cabinet I0 is usually of a polished or enameled metal. The drain board l2 and back splasher i3 is of linoleum or other sheet material. A firm under structure is provided for the outer portion of the sink top, and this under structure is anchored to the cabinet metal frame 55.

The frame 55 carries the angle bars '32 extending the length of the cabinet. bar 12 is attached to an anchoring bar ii of the frame 55, and is provided with the inwardly extending rabbet portion it. Over this framework are supported the drain board, sink and back board assemblies which include the wooden frame members :15 around which is anchored the metal sheeting i8 forming a smooth base surface for the resilient padding i1 and the outer surface sheeting 78. These assemblies are firmly cemented together and trimmed with the channel-like strap i9 which extends entirely around the edges of the sink top for this purpose and forms an attractive ledge portion. It will be understood that a watertight connection is had by the structure described.

At the depressed sink portion H the exposed edges 84 of these layers of sheeting 16, padding l1 and surface sheeting 18 are finished ofi in a beveled portion, the cross section of which forms an acute angle with the plane of the under surface of the lowest beveled layer I6.

For the purpose of holding the assemblage together at the exposed portions necessary for the sink and to provide a neat, water-tight and finished appearance at this place, an upper clamping ring 81 is employed. The sink portion 80 has the outwardly extending flange 82 which is suspended from the sheeting I6 by the bolt and nut means 83. A spacing washer 84 is placed between the sheeting l6 and the flange 82 around the bolt 83 to provide a space for the insertion of the clamp- The upper angle v her 8! is firmly secured between the sink flange 82 and the sheeting Tl by the bolt 83 and other leg forms an acute angle with the first mentioned leg sufiicient to extend up along the exposed beveled edges of the sheeting 16, the resilient padding Ti and the drain member 78, thereby holding them securely clamped or interlocked at the sink basin edge. This clamping member 8| also serves to provide a neatly trimmed appearance for the sink edge. It is also sealed to flange 82 in a watertight manner.

The inwardly extending rabbeted portion M of the upper angle bar terminates in the flange 85. Spaced below the bar 12 is a further channeled box 88 extending across the front of the sink portion of the cabinet and the opening thus provided therebetween is closed by a panel 98. In order to hold the panel 90 in place, there are provided s-shaped clamps 92 adjacent the lower side of the door and spring clamps 94 adjacent the upper edge of the panel. One leg of the $-shaped clamp 92 is attached to panel 90 and the other leg is adapted to engage the rear of bar 88 when the panel is held at a slight forward angle to the cabinet front. The panel is then swung upwardly and inwardly until the spring clamp 94 engages the flange of the angled bar 12.

Various modifications of the embodiment of my invention as described herein are possible without departing from its scope. The present description is presented for purposes of illustration only and is not to be construed so as to limit unnecessarily the scope of the appended claims which are intended to include the various changes and modifications mentioned.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for washing tableware, the combination of a casing structure having an opening in a side wall thereof, a gasket disposed adjacent said opening and carried by the easing structure, a door for closing said opening and hinged adjacent its bottom portion to the'casing structure, said door being normally disposed in a vertical position and closing said opening and said door being adjustable to a substantially horizontal position for loading and unloading the apparatus and a support for tableware carried by the casing structure and movable horizontally and exteriorlythereof for loading and unloading said apparatus when the door occupies its horizontal position, said support being disposed above the door when exterior'of the casing and the inner side of said door having a projection forming'a reservoir and being positioned to engage said gasket when in a vertical position to effect a water-tight sealing of the casing structure and to define a drainage reservoir when in a substantially horizontal position to insure collection of drippings from the tableware.

2. In apparatus for washing tableware, the combination of a casing structure having an opening in a sidewall thereof, a door structure for closing said opening and hinged near its bottom portion to the casing structure, said door being normally disposed in a vertical position and closing said opening and said door being adjustable to a substantially horizontal position for loading and unloading the apparatus, a support for tableware carried by the casing structure and movable horizontally and exteriorly thereof for loading and unloading said apparatus when the door occupies the horizontal posi-- tion, said support being disposed above the door when projecting from the casing, fluidtight sealing means embodying a gasket carried by one of the aforesaid structures and an engaging member carried by the other of the aforesaid structures, the part of said fluid-tight sealing means carried by the door structure forming a catch basin on the inner side of the door structure to collect drippings from the tableware when the tableware support is projecting from the casing structure and means cooperating between the door structure and the casing structure for effecting passage of water from the catch basin to the interior of the casing structure when the door is moved in a direction toward closing.

3. In apparatus for washing tableware, the

combination of a casing structure having an opening in a side wall thereof, a door structure for closing said opening and hinged near its bottom portion to the casing structure, said door being normally disposed in a vertical position and closing said openingand said door being adjustable to a substantially horizontal position for loading and unloading the apparatus, a support for tableware carried by the casing structure and movable horizontally and exteriorly thereof for loading and unloading said apparatus when the structure when the door is moved in a direction towards its closed position.

4. In apparatus for washing tableware, the combination of a casing structure having a rectangular opening in the side wall thereof, a gasket carried by the casing structure and extending about all four sides of the opening, a door for closing said opening and hinged to the casing strueture, said door being normally disposed in a vertical position and closing said opening and said door being adjustable to a substantially horizontal position for loading and unloading the apparatus, a support for tableware carried by the casing structure and movable horizontally and exteriorly thereof for loading and unloading said apparatus when the door occupies its horizontal position, said support being disposed above the door when projecting from the casing structure, a projection formed on the inner side of the door and extending continuously thereabout to form a drainage reservoir when the door is in a substantially horizontal position for collecting drippings from the tableware, said projection being positioned to engage the gasket when the door is in a vertical position to effect a Watertight closing of the casing structure, and means cooperating between the lower edge of the door and the casing structure to effect passage of drippings from the reservoir to the interior of the casing structure when the door is moved in a direction towards its closed position.

EDGAR S. STODDARD. 

